Hartford Has Edge This Time

Baker Scores 21, Loses Scoring Lead

For Hawks, No Challenge This Time

WEST HARTFORD — Harvard gave Hartford just what it needed Tuesday night -- a confidence boost.

After two consecutive home losses to North Atlantic Conference opponents Delaware and Drexel, the latter in overtime, the Hawks earned an easy 97-72 victory at the Sports Center.

The only down side for the Hawks was that Hartford senior center Vin Baker is no longer the NCAA Division I scoring leader. Baker, who played a season-low 27 minutes, scored 21 points to lead the Hawks, but his average fell to 29.3, just behind Greg Guy's 29.5 for Texas-Pan American. Guy is a junior point guard.

"Who cares," Baker said, smiling. "I'm glad to get the win. I wouldn't care if I scored two points just as long as we won."

The Hawks (9-12) led 41-21 at the half, then extended their lead to 80-42. All but two players scored for Hartford.

"This was an ideal game at the ideal time," Baker said. "We just got finished playing the two best teams in the league and needed a confidence boost for Maine."

The Hawks host the Black Bears Thursday.

Baker has 2,062 career points and is closing in on the Hawks' all-time leader, Mark Noon (2,113).

The Hawks didn't shake the Crimson until 9 minutes, 41 seconds remained in the first half when, leading 16-15, Hartford coach Paul Brazeau called his team to the sideline.

"I just challenged them to play better defense and they did," Brazeau said.

The Hawks went on a 12-0 run, getting five points from Jack Ayer, three from Baker and two each from Mike Bond and David Pritikin, to take a 28-15 lead. And before long, it was 36-17.

Harvard (4-16) shot only 29.2 percent (7 of 24) in the half and committed 18 turnovers, many of them traveling calls.

"They just took advantage of what we're not good at, handling the ball," Harvard coach Frank Sullivan said. "Their press really

hurt us. It took us out of any offensive flow."

Asked what he thought of Baker, Sullivan smiled.

"What else can be said about him?" he said. "For me it's nice to see a player of that stature in New England who isn't in the Big East. It just proves there are other players out there."

All five Hartford starters scored in double figures. Ayer had 15 points, hitting 3 of 4 three-point attempts, Bond and Pritikin each had 11 and Ricardo Roderick 10.

Sophomore Matt Curtis, who had missed the past three games with a sore left leg, scored eight points off the bench and sophomore Steve Campbell had a career-high nine rebounds and four blocks in 18 minutes.

Tyler Rullman and Michael Gilmore each had 16 points to lead Harvard, which plays in the Ivy League.

Harvard shot 44 percent for the game, Hartford 53 percent. The Hawks also had the rebounding edge, 43-33. Harvard's Arturo Llopis tied Campbell for the game high in rebounds with nine.

The Hawks and Maine (10-10, 4-5) are competing for fourth place and a home game in the NAC playoffs.

"This gets us going again," Ayer said. "We needed this one tonight real bad, but Thursday's game is a must win if we hope to get a home game in the playoffs."

Brazeau, too, said the victory was just what his team needed.

"We just wanted to win a game," he said. "If it can give us confidence, good. The best way to learn how to win is to keep winning."

Hartford also plays New Hampshire (3-17, 1-9) in an NAC game Saturday (1 p.m.) at the Sports Center